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Safe weight nsw

What you need to know

According to NSW statistics, more than half of the caravans and trailers on the road are classified as overweight. This is because owners haven’t considered the total weight of their vehicle and caravan, inclusive of their payload weight. Having an overweight vehicle and caravan is not only against the law but it is a danger to yourself, your family and all other road users. Having an overweight vehicle and caravan can also affect your insurance policy for not only your vehicle but your caravan/trailer as they are considered unroadworthy and therefore, you can be uninsured.

Don’t make the mistake of towing in the dark and risk the lives of your family and others on the road. Safe Weight NSW can assist you with all of your mobile weighing needs. We do a comprehensive weight analysis of your tow vehicle and caravan/trailer, inclusive of tow ball weight. We provide you with an easy to understand report and printout of the exact weight calculations of your towing vehicle and caravan/trailer, explain in depth what the report means and our recommendations on the required modifications to get you back on the road towing in no time.

We can weigh almost anything for you including:

Weight Analysis Schematic

Disclaimer: Information provided is true and correct on the date of weighing. Due to the dynamic nature of loading and towing, Safe Weight bears no responsibility or liability for changes in weights and circumstances relating to the weight of vehicles after the issue of this document. This advisory weighing cannot be used for certification, registration, or insurance purposes.

What do all the weights mean?

The law governing caravan towing capacity is first and foremost designed for safety – yours, that of your occupants and third parties.

Knowing your weights and caravan towing capacity is essential for safe towing.
Weights and what they mean

Tare mass (vehicle)

This is the actual mass of the tow vehicle – how much your car weighs at manufacturer specification (including fluids like fuel and coolant) and with no payload.

Tare mass (caravan)

This is the mass of your trailer – for our purposes, your caravan – as specified by the manufacturer, with no payload.

ATM (aggregate trailer mass)

This is the tare mass of your caravan plus its maximum payload. It’s the maximum your caravan is allowed to weigh in transit. This is a rating set by the manufacturer and cannot be exceeded.

ATM = tare mass (caravan) + max payload

GVM (gross vehicle mass)

The limit on weight that the car’s wheels can support – including the weight of the car and passengers. This is a rating set by the car manufacturer. GVM also includes tow ball mass when the car is hitched to a caravan or trailer.

GVM vehicle tare mass + maximum payload

Payload

Payload is any mass you add to the vehicle’s tare mass.

For tow vehicles, this includes passengers, luggage, aftermarket bull bars and the tow ball mass. Payload does not include standard specifications set by the manufacturer such as fuel and coolant.

Maximum payload (caravan)

The maximum weight that can be loaded into the caravan for towing. This does not include the weight of people inhabiting the caravan while stationery, but does need to take into account water, gas and accessories you’ve added to the caravan since purchasing it. This rating is set by the manufacturer and cannot be exceeded.

Maximum payload = ATM – tare mass (caravan) – tow ball mass

TBM (tow ball mass)

This is the mass exerted on the tow ball by your fully packed caravan. When your caravan is hitched, this mass is included in your tow vehicle’s payload.

GTM (gross trailer mass)

This is the maximum weight of the loaded caravan that can be supported by its wheels, not counting the portion supported by the car when hitched – or jockey wheel when parked. This rating is set by the manufacturer and cannot be exceeded.

GTM = ATM – tow ball mass

GCM (gross combined mass)

The gross combined mass is a combination of the maximum allowed mass of the trailer and the maximum allowed mass of the vehicle. (This is the one that you need to consider)

GCM = GTM + GVM

You’ll find the tare, ATM, TBM and GTM stamped on the vehicle identification number (VIN) plate. With exception to tare, as long as you don’t exceed any of these figures, then you shouldn’t have any problems towing your caravan

What can happen when you don’t weigh correctly

It is hard to think what about what can happen when you don’t follow tow weight restrictions. Tow vehicles and caravans/trailers are more susceptible to accidents on the road when the legislative requirements governing weight are not followed. Not only can you cause severe damage to your vehicle, caravan or both in the event of an accident, you also put the lives of yourself, your family and other road users on the line. One simple call to Safe Weight NSW and you can have peace of mind knowing that you are protecting your towing vehicle and caravan/trailer, yourself, your family and all other happy campers on the road. Don’t hesitate. Drive onto those scales today.